Health News

Health News for 11/30/10

November 30, 2010

Health Tip: Using a Baby Carrier

Baby carriers can be comforting for baby and keep your hands free. But you should take care to prevent carrier-related injuries, especially from falls.

Health Tip: Avoid Medical Mistakes

Sometimes, there's nothing you can do to avoid a medical error.

Prescriptions for Stimulants, Painkillers Soaring Among Youth

The number of prescriptions for controlled medications such as opioids and stimulants has nearly doubled in adolescents and young adults since 1994.

Kids Can't Accurately Judge Speed of Approaching Cars: Study

Primary school children cannot accurately estimate the speed of approaching vehicles moving faster than 20 miles per hour, finds a new study.

Better Outcomes Seen With Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis

Early assessment of rheumatoid arthritis can reduce the amount of joint damage and improve the likelihood of disease remission without having to take disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, known as DMARDs, new research indicates.

Endurance Runners Lost 50% of Body Fat During 2-Month Race

Runners who took part in a two-month, 4,500-kilometer race lost 5.4 percent of body volume during the event, including 50 percent of their body fat, according to a new report.

Acupuncture Really Does Help Relieve Pain: Study

Acupuncture alters the way that the brain perceives and processes pain, a finding that suggests the traditional Chinese treatment can effectively relieve pain, according to a new study.

Toxins from Staph Bacteria Disrupt Immune System

Superantigens -- toxins produced by staphylococcus bacteria -- are more complex and may cause more illnesses than formerly realized, say Swedish researchers.

Pharmacists Improve Patient-Care Teams: Analysis

Patients have better outcomes when pharmacists are part of patient-care teams, according to a new review.

Vitamin D Guidelines Edge Upwards, But Most Americans Getting Enough: Report

Despite calls by some experts that Americans take in much more vitamin D, a new report from the Institute of Medicine finds that most people are getting enough of the nutrient each day.

Tummy Fat May Threaten Women's Bones

Not only does extra weight around the middle increase a woman's risk of heart disease and diabetes, new research suggests it also ups a woman's risk of developing osteoporosis.

Cell Dysfunction May Play Part in Autism

Autistic children are much more likely to have defects in a cellular structure called the mitochondria, which is responsible for producing the energy used by brain cells, preliminary research finds.

Breast Cancer Rates Lower With Less Hormone Therapy: Study

Reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is linked to declines in rates of invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ, the most common form of noninvasive breast cancer, a new study reports.

Hospital-Acquired Infections a Serious Threat to ICU Patients: Study

Intensive-care unit patients with hospital-acquired infections have a significantly increased risk of dying, but antibiotic resistance increases their likelihood of death only a small amount, a new study finds.

Health Highlights: Nov. 30, 2010

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 30, 2010

Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Record Number of Americans Tested for HIV

HIV testing in the United States is at a record high, but more than 200,000 Americans are infected and don't know it, a U.S. government report released Tuesday finds.

Study Backs 'Active Surveillance' for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

Using a computer simulation model, researchers say they've determined that relying on "active surveillance" to follow men with low-risk prostate cancer is a "reasonable approach" and alternative to immediate treatment, which can cause unwanted side effects such as incontinence and impotence.

Confusing Labeling Found on Many Nonprescription Kids' Meds

The admonishment to parents to carefully follow the directions on the labels of over-the-counter kids' medicines may be futile, new research suggests.